Spadafora (47-0-1) will step into the ring Saturday night with that undefeated record and a minor title belt at stake, facing an opponent -- Rob Frankel -- who he admits he's never seen before. Still, he says he'll be as ready as ever when the bell rings at the Mountaineer Resort in Chester, W.Va.

"I'm the type of dude that really don't even want to watch no one else fight but myself. You know what I mean? I feel that they've got to watch me fight," Spadafora said Thursday. "Yeah, he is a great fighter. I take my hat off to him because I heard he can fight his butt off, and I just keep preparing like I was getting prepared to fight Mayweather, Pacquaio, whoever it would be. I'm preparing like that."

Saturday's bout is for the vacant NABF super lightweight championship, most recently held by Dierry Jean, who's taking a title eliminator fight in one of boxing's four major sanctioning bodies. That's a place where Spadafora wants to be, and beating Frankel (32-12-1) can help him get there, so he says he acted accordingly and left Pittsburgh to train hard for the fight.

"The winner's going to be moved in probably the Top 5. And listen, I'm 37 years old. I'm trying to get this in. I want to get this spot now," Spadafora said. "I'm just working hard, and I want to keep winning and keep knocking at the door until eventually one of these guys are going to be like, 'Hey, this kid deserves it, give him a shot.' I can't lose from it. It's definitely going to boost my career."

Ten years removed from his days as a world champion, Spadafora is now promoted by another ex-champ, Roy Jones Jr., and is staying active while he tries to attract a big-name opponent. The Frankel fight is his third in the past eight months after a nearly two-year absence that included another trip to rehab, which he says has worked wonders for his personal life.

"I'm a whole different guy. This is me. As long as I do the right thing, I'm good," Spadafora said. "If someone don't accept me for what I did in the past -- man, there's so many people that I know made so many mistakes, you know what I mean? I'm here right now. I really ain't doing it for them. I'm doing it for myself. I make myself happy. I go to sleep at night. I feel good. I'm a father today. My whole life has changed."

While aiming for a major prizefight with a big payday, Spadafora is also chasing a personal goal, trying to equal a mark held by a fellow Italian-American.

"Rocky Marciano was 49-0. That means a lot for me to try to get up there," he said. "It's always one fight at a time. This business is no joke. You can't underestimate nobody. You have to be ready at all times."